On our last day of Fall Fortnight, let’s have one more fun post of ideas, this time in the garden and the kitchen. Then we’ll wrap it up with some special sale announcements!! Last weekend, before the temperatures got chilly, I went to the planter box and picked the last of the tomatoes.

I brought in the last of the parsley and basil to clean and use fresh as much as I can. I freeze the rest. The leaves will crumble easily when frozen, yet the flavor is bright when used. It is closer to a fresh herb taste than dried.

Then I pulled up the remaining tomato plants and cleaned out the box. Now, I can plant bulbs for spring blooms. October is the time to do that in my area.

I love daffodils, and often will plant more of those. The squirrels around here love to dig them up and eat them though, so my daffodil beds are always diminishing. I put some bone meal in the holes under the bulbs to nourish them to bloom well. Daffodils, crocus and hyacinths all like this.

With some of the tomatoes harvested, I save the seeds for next year. See my post Saving Tomato Seeds for a tutorial on how to get the seeds separated from the jelly easily.

I make one last tomato pie for the year. Download my recipe – Carole’s Tomato Pie. That downloadable pdf has the recipe for a vodka crust, so tender and the alcohol burns off. The reduced water makes the crust really flaky, and you have enough for a deep dish pie. See my post Carole’s Tomato Pie Finally! for a full tutorial.

Then, My Sweet Babboo gets some bruschetta, one of his favorite foods. The last of the fresh basil is mixed with chopped tomatoes and served on artisan bread toast with a bit of olive oil. Sometimes I add some Parmesan cheese and put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes for a hot appetizer.

See my post An Abundance of Tomatoes for more recipe ideas including pizza, stacked salads and more. The fresh basil from the garden is used here. I freeze the rest for use later.

As I do most years, I roast the rest of the abundance as I just cannot eat all the tomatoes fresh before they rot. So, I like to roast them slowly in the oven with a bulb of garlic and make a tomato compote or jam. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easier.

Store the compote in the refrigerator, it will keep a few weeks. I use it on pizza and to stuff baked chicken breasts. It adds a wonderful, intense tomato flavor to bottled tomato sauces for pasta.

It is really tasty when spread on artisan bread toast with some goat cheese as a snack or an appetizer. I add a little drizzle of olive oil to the bread first. Yum!!

Last week, My Sweet Babboo put the bird feeder back up, hoping that the bear has moved to higher ground for the winter. The first to find it was a titmouse.

Then a nuthatch. They love to eat upside down. I hope that the rest of the songbirds will find it soon.

The turkeys came by for a visit a few days ago. I most often see them in the early morning or at dusk. We don’t have a lot of color in the trees yet, but the leaves are blowing down daily.

Last Saturday, I had a table at Beginnings Fiber Fair, an opportunity for local fiber artists to sell their creations. I did pretty well, selling the table topper and runner on the wall, a baby quilt, the denim jacket along with a bunch of handmade cards and non-slip sewing machine foot control pads.

To wrap up Fall Fortnight, we had a fun quilt along, set an autumn table, cooked an autumn meal, stitched a wool project, stamped some cards and had fun with embroidery. All winners have been notified, and are listed below. I hope you are inspired to create some autumn beauty for your home. Will you be sewing projects for a few days more? Please leave a comment to let these sponsors know we all appreciate their participation and giveaways.

Our Blog Hop of Placemat Designs is super special as the patterns will be fun for your table, and some will be donated to Meals on Wheels of Henderson county for their fall enjoyment. If you plan to make some to be a part of that project, please ship no later than October 30, so I have them in time for an early November delivery.

Spooktacular Savings for Quilting Daily – 40% off Storewide! This includes the print edition of Love of Quilting Fall 2026 issue that has my Cozy Fireside Quilt pattern. My Freedom Waves pattern is available as a pattern only download for just $4.79! Shop more than 1000 patterns, individual magazine issues like Quilting Arts and McCalls Quilting, digital versions and subscriptions. I adore Quilting Arts magazine, and just signed up for a two year subscription myself. Sale ends October 27.

I hope you were inspired! And if you are starting your holiday shopping, I appreciate you using my links where you can. Please leave a comment to let the sponsors know you appreciate them! It also lets me know that you enjoy these events. Thank you!